The Editing of Northern Lights – Chapter 8 and the True Story

These are the Editing Notes for my FFVII fanfiction Northern Lights (which you can find at the end of that link). I will be discussing a myriad of topics along with my frequently tangential and harried editing process. You should be able to garner some enjoyment and insight from this without having read the story and/or without prior knowledge of the original game, but if you’re a fan of paranormal romance and/or dark fantasy, you may find it to your liking. The story will be spoiled in this editing examination, though I will do my best to mark spoilers for any other narratives I mention. Thanks for your interest and enjoy!

I’m truly amazed and saddened at how much more excited and optimistic I was a mere two years ago. I haven’t been an optimist in a long time, but I definitely had more bursts of it before. I’ve discovered that excitement usually leads to disappointment made even more so because you were expecting so much. I don’t mean to be a Morbid Mary so I’ll let you enjoy this fairly upbeat post that began my editing of Chapter 8.

10/16/14Chapter 8 – In Between
Quote: “Hush child, the darkness will rise from the deep and carry you down into sleep.”
-Heather Dale “Mordred’s LullabyPicture: YesPicture Source: YesPicture Satisfaction: High

It’s just epic and bitterly sad. There is a decided connection between Mordred and Sephiroth insofar as they were both children of destiny used by their “mothers” to fulfill some perceived prophecy and right some “falsified” wrong. They were pawns who were fed on another’s hatred and ambition that led them to a terrible fate (fatum terrible; sors imanis et inanis).

Lullabies have always been inherently dark, and this article attempts to explain why. There were things that can only be said in the eve when the shadows come to call. Sorrows poured into innocent ears that couldn’t repeat them on the morrow. Lullabies were sung for children, but crafted for mothers to pour out their bitter rue. It is more than appropriate one be written for Sephiroth for a myriad reasons.

I need to reread The Mists of Avalon since that was my introduction into Arthurian Legend, and it also gave me a perspective on patrilineal (sky gods) vs matrilineal (earth gods) societies. This concept is displayed in FFVII if you know how to look. Aeris/Aerith (ughhh hate that name, but it’s important here for this point) is the representation of the planet (“I Earth” being an anagram of “Aerith”) and Jenova is the representation of the invading and subsequently pervasive sky gods. The true and hidden point of the narrative is about them. The Cloud/Sephiroth thing is what we’re directed to pay attention to, but their binary is really a red herring. Scrutinizing between the lines leads us to the actual truth and brings back the oft made point about the OS sitting atop the dichotomy of truth and lies (true is false who is who), reality and deception. In a nutshell while the “boys” (Cloud and Seph) are arguing about who has the better sword, the “girls” (Aeris and Jenova) are dealing with the real issue.

I have only listened to this one of Heather Dale’s songs, and it was introduced through the above AMV, though the instant I heard the lilt of her voice, it sounded familiar. I knew I’d heard this before, but I don’t know where. Regardless, that very first line used as the quote, brought all sorts of ideas forth. I’ve had an itching to write a cosmic horror story for a while (not just a fanfic of a story that has cosmic horror elements) à la Lovecraft, and one idea is that sleep is darkness rising to drag you down into worlds unknown. It was after listening to the song for god only knows how many times that I started having half nightmares about just that very thing. I’d be on the outer edge of slumber, and I’d feel/see a dark hand coming up and grabbing me to drag me down into the darkness. It was unsettling to say the least.

…but it would give too much away. I wanted it to be as much of a surprise for you as it was for him.

This chapter starts on page 62 and ends on page 75, so 13 pages and quite a bit occurs. The title is “In Between” so I could do something with that for a picture. Show that pale, shadowed world. Tolkien, the master of fantasy, inspired me with this one and provided me the template for its manifestation. I imagine the in between to look similar to the Ringwraith realm.

So I’m looking for a grayscale picture of a dead, barren world. That’s what I need.

Okay so I had to tell you guys this. I’m looking for the picture using the search terms “dark fantasy landscape”. One, Final Fantasy came up as an option immediately. I scroll down and eventually come across a picture of Sephiroth himself. Oh man…well the tags are “dark angel” and “fantasy” so yeah.

Thus endeth today’s editings. Short, huh? I believe this chapter was edited over a four day period.

So far, I really like it! You’ve actually made me sympathetic to Sephiroth’s character already. I’m starting to see him as more than just the evil final boss I needed to beat in FFVII. If Aeris can learn to forgive him, maybe I can too.

I’m seeing your likes! Yes…I’ve been a Sephiroth defender for well half my life hehe. I wrote a defense of him, too after many years of sitting on it.

As for being a slow reader it took me months to finish my friends 13 chapter fanfic so no worries. I’m reading three books and I try to get fanfictions and other originally and Internet only posted work in. Northern Lights is novel length so it taking a while to get through is totally expected. I appreciate you reading it and your support 😊

Me too! But there was still something so familiar about it when I first listened to it, as though I’d heard it before, but couldn’t recall where. I need to check out her other music. I’m sure I would love it all.